Somehow I feel that the fans have grown a bit stale over the years. I remember coming out of the dark 90's (the early WCE era), the arena was a lot louder than it is now. I know most people attribute it to the "suits" on lower bowl but honestly, having sat in both lower/upper sections of the arena, I can't really tell if there's a big difference in terms of volume. The CA teams have some of the loudest arena for sure, LA, SJ, Anaheim all have very loud fans.

The Canucks have been novel now for over a decade, and the shiny facade is wearing thin for those that aren't actually fans and dedicated to the team. There will be a day in the near future when those people stop going, ticket prices will be fully unsustainable (which is already happening) and there will be a shift change of fans in the arena.

I was at that game. Sitting lower bowl to the right of Lou in my gf's bosses season ticket seats. Everyone around us was no fun. No noise. No cheering. No standing. When the south siders did chant it energized the arena. I can't believe people had the audacity to complain.

Having had seasons to the whitecaps for a couple years (and I don't even follow soccer) I can say the matches are way more fun. I haven't paid for a Canucks game in forever. You couldn't get me to pay for a game. The entertainment value is nil. And if you truly want to watch then at home in HD is the answer.

I was also at that game, one section over from those hilarious Southsiders. The people around me were complaining to each other about it, "I wish they would shut up and sit down" kind of comments. I thought the cheering/chanting was awesome. Can you imagine if the whole stadium was like that? or more realistically, a block of like 3 sections? Instead everybody wants to sit down and shut up.

How annoying is that! I was lucky enough to be at the gold medal game and while obviously nothing can compare and the energy was amazing the Canucks games should be even just a little bit of that. It's sad when its so quiet you can hear AV squawking through the tv. Lol.

Something needs to change but $150+ tickets won't help. Way too corporate. Everyone's trying to impress clients that couldn't care less about the game. They just care they are there :(

While corporate tickets are definitely a big part of the problem, I think there is also a contingent of long-time cynical fans who has this "holier and more knowledgeable than thou" mentality. Last season I was at a Calgary game, in the upper bowl. A couple of Asian gentlemen stood up and were waving the canuck flag around, hollering to try to fire up the section. The guys behind me began mocking them, insinuating that they probably never played or watched hockey before the cup run and said things like "dude it's fucking calgary not the cup final, sit down" and something with racial undertone that I don't care to repeat.

Regular fans have been priced out of games, but the presentation of American sports is a big problem.

You have an announcer booming over the whole arena, every time there is downtime they play loud music, it's almost like everything is geared to ruining fan atmosphere as much as possible. If there wasn't the whole kit and kaboodle, you might see something similar to ultra groups in Europe who sing songs and create a fantastic atmosphere.

As it is, American sports are so corporate it's ridiculous, and the presentation within the stadium itself isn't helpful at all. It's like they don't want you to cheer.

It's the corporate seats. There are a ton of corporate season ticket holders (would love to know the % of the lower bowl held by companies) and they're pretty much indifferent to going to the game.

"Hey, we have tickets, you want to go?" "Sure, why not."

Thing is, they don't care, and it's almost a hassle (if you can believe that) to go. So the game is dragging on, or appears out of reach, and they leave. It's disgraceful, but that's the way it will be until the ticket prices drop and real people can afford tickets again, and they are not only in the reach of those that can afford it.

you've done a thorough investigation of all the fans of every team in the league have you... ? Kinda hard for this Canuck fan to get to a game when I live 4000 miles away from Vancouver. You're the douche for painting everyone with the same brush, simpleton.

The Canucks organization is to blame for the poor crowd. I was a very recent lower bowl season ticket holder and sold off my share this season (to a family member). $500 for a pair of tickets to one game is too much for me. I have also had season tickets in my family since the early 1980s.

First, the tickets are overpriced. People blame corporate seats for the lack of atmosphere but it is the Canucks that set prices so high that regular families cannot afford to purchase the majority of the seats. Age also has more to do with the lack of atmosphere than income. I sit in friends' seats in the upper bowl regularly and have witnessed fans shhhh'ing fans for cheering too loud. 50-70 year old season ticket holders do not want to stand and cheer for 60 minutes; nor do they want to have a cheering fan stand in front of them for that time too. Price of tickets and length of the season ticket wait list can be blamed for that too.

Secondly, the Canucks organization treats us like crap. Go to another arena (something I have done many times) and see what kind of fan interaction, entertainment, incentive program, atmosphere building gimmicks those teams provide for their fans. The Canucks put very little effort into a total entertainment experience. A kids hockey game and a t-shirt cannon should not pass as quality intermission entertainment.

Thirdly, the on ice product has been too bland and consistent recently. We have not had a lot of ups and downs to get excited about (we are spoiled with a consistently good team). And we, as a city, have never truly appreciated the Sedins.

Finally, I don't believe we are good fans anyways. I have seen some very obnoxious behaviour at Rogers Arena. I've seen Flames fans getting punched at the urinal and in bathroom lines during Canuck blowouts. I have seen a young family (with 3 young children) from Dallas and wearing Stars' gear get harassed so badly that they left the game after the first period. And I always see the bored corporate seats filled with uninterested douchebags and trophy wives that leave halfway through the third period.

I would love to reclaim my seats but won't do so until the Canucks make the product on and off the ice better for the fan experience. They have become lazy, ungrateful, and entitled. As our winning "window" is closing, the organization should start thinking about retaining fans through a rebuild with higher entertainment value for the average, and often lifelong, Canucks fan.

The owner has money to spend. He probably has a budget in mind for how much money he wants to spend. So he will probably make decisions about whether to spend more on things like intermission entertainment, or things like player salary, training staff, etc.

All I am saying is that I prefer they apply their full budget to making the team good instead of wasting budget on things like intermission bullshit.

Most of the fans that go to games don't cheer loudly but that doesn't mean our fans suck. If you look at any footage of the Cup run, the fans on the streets and in the bars were insane! We know how to cheer but can't afford tickets

That's more likely to do with how many people of my generation are increasingly becoming more narcissistic and much more interested in telling others WHAT they are doing or WHERE they are, rather than enjoying the actual event.

GRR exactly like my brother... we're both huge nucks fans, but it seemed he was more interested in texting his gf than watching the game (we were at the canucks vs red wings March 16th game). The place went nuts when burrs scored lol

Have you been to a game at GM place? Uninspiring is an understatement. I get looks when I start trying to get a chant going. I love this team but Johnny Canuck is not Johnny Everyman - not when it takes a whole paycheque to bring your family to a game - not when youre sitting between a pair of suits. Some days I envy fans of the Panthers, the Coyotes, the BlueJackets.

Other venues seem louder because their teams are putting forth a genuine effort in an attempt to win. Lately all ive seen from the Canucks are a bunch of uncoordinated apathetic underachievers (With the exception of the Chicago game) cant blame the fans for not being into the game when the team theyre cheering for isnt even into it.

This is not a "Canucks fans" issue, it seems to be more with the culture of the city.

In the past two years I've gone to see Van Halen, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Janes Addiction, Soundgarden, Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney. In every case, unless you are in the standing room only area, most people sit down and just listen to the music and me and my buddies are one of the few people standing up and enjoying the experience.

Everyone of those artists I mentioned are an air guitar, fist in the air, fun, rock and roll band, but in every case people act like they are at the opera, and only begrudgingly stand to get engaged when the encores come on.

Now, I'm heading to the game tomorrow and I will certainly get engaged. Most likely I'll be screaming at one of the players for their garbage effort, but I will be making noise.

Ultimately, when the team is charging top dollar for pre season, regular season and play-off games, the team isn't winning and the entertainment value is piss poor, it's tough to be inspired.

If I was at last nights game, I wouldn't be giving them any support. They checked out mentally after that tying goal. Pathetic effort from them, means a pathetic effort from me as a fan.

...most people sit down and just listen to the music and me and my buddies are one of the few people standing up and enjoying the experience.

That is a real pet peeve of mine. Just because I prefer to sit down and enjoy the show instead of the sound of my own voice doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the experience just as much as you are. Different strokes for different folks. We're not all screamers by nature and some of us like to watch the occasional game too.

I get a little more animated at a hockey game but still, the idea that cheering incessantly- no matter what the team is doing on the ice- somehow makes you a truer fan... I just don't get that. Booing is something else entirely and should be reserved for only the worst offences, but a little silence or quieter cheers? Here I definitely agree: if they want to be cheered on, give the fans something to cheer about. You don't have to win, just show some heart.

I enjoyed when I was at McCartney and he asked the crowd to sing along during the chorus of Hey Jude, and several people in my row were having none of it. It was hilarious and sad at the same time. Guy has only been in Vancouver once in 50 years, and plays the most recognizable song of all time and these people just sit there in silence.

This is not a "Canucks fans" issue, it seems to be more with the culture of the city.

Go to smaller concerts. Saw The Protomen, Crystal Castles and Rammstein last summer. Protomen and Crystal Castles the crowd's were wild and insanely energetic. Rammstein, outside of the floor, was very subdued.

perhaps we can all spam their twitter or facebook pages, and phone lines to get our crowd more riled up? Doubt it would work but its worth a try. I want to win a fucking god damn cup and if the crowd is going to help us get it there then its the least we can do.

I saw some total shitheel corporate lackey fuckwad wearing a Teck logo in the namebar. I was pissed. I wanted to tell him what a fucking moron he was for doing that. He was a walking metaphor for everything that is wrong with Canucks attendants (not fans).

Apparently Teck is a mining company. I'm going to guess this guy was wearing a jersey, but instead of having a player's name, it had the logo for this mining company in the name plate area, on the back.

Teck is a mining and metals giant who operate out of Vancouver (and elsewhere). They used to be called Teck Cominco (sp?) and have an absolutely deplorable environmental record. Even in BC and Washington State.

I'm Asian and I'm not offended but back in the 80s when I could actually go to games the Coliseum was very quiet. People did not get up to do the 'wave', they just sat there and drank. No there were not a lot of Asians in the crowd, not many Chinese and hardly any Indians either.

I love your point about the music. I've been noticing it for years. Whenever I watch the Canucks road games, other arenas seem adept at playing the right music for the scenario. Want to get your team pumped up? AC/DC, Metallica, something heavy to get them going. At Rogers arena we get some top40 garbage or house music and its laughable.

Do you have eyes? Scan the lower bowl and you will see its mostly white people. This has nothing to do with race its just more expensive now so it attracts an older crowd that has more money and as you get older its just not the same as when you're 21.

Also, when you are paying a lot of money, you expect to be at least entertained or see some effort from the team. We're not getting that and haven't seen a good constant compete level since the San Jose series in 2011.

The OP mentions Anaheim, but upper bowl tickets are effectively 27 to 60 dollars, while lower bowl tickets go from 101 to 150 dollars. In contrast, I paid 100 bucks for standing room only seats in the 400 section. If my team is losing or lost and I only paid 27 dollars, I can handle their losing, or get more involved, but at 100 bucks (and a heck of a lot more for other people), I can understand the apathy and frustration from the fan base.

I don't disagree that price and perceived team effort don't play a role.

But people are agreeing to pay that price to sit in those seats whether the team wins or not.

Shouldn't they rally behind their team no matter what. I like to think of it as watching your kid play soccer; obviously you're gonna cheer like mad if he scores a goal, or makes a nice tackle. But even if he isn't feeling it or is obviously wishing he was somewhere else, you're gonna give him a boost and cheer him on, right?

The team is probably half thinking "it would be easier to get into the game if it felt like our fans actually gave a shit too".

I completely agree with you. The same shit happens all the time. Luongo gets portrayed as the one only person responsible for winning games and when he doesn't, he's a complete failure. Right now everyone is thinking we're out of the playoffs so what's the point. Same shit happens when we're down 2-0 in a game. What's the point. We're going to lose. We have the worst mentality as a city/fanbase/media when it comes to our team.

For myself, I have fan fatigue. I don't like our coach and I have no faith in his ability to coach and lead a team back from deficits.

We were there. We were loud. When we are quiet it is because we are cerebral; it is hard to cheer when the Sedins are doing their magic because of how entranced I become.

Now we're regressing. We aren't the best team, and this fan base knows it. That knowledge colours every element of how we engage in the game.

Sad? Likely. But this team isn't doing the things that made it successful in the past. The parts of the game that made its fan base loud have fallen off: 22nd ranked powerplay and 8th ranked penalty kill, two core elements that once were top 3 in the league-at the same time! No longer a higher scoring team, a high hitting team, a high shot blocking team; Vancouver, as a team, has lost too much of its character in the name of 'better defensive play'. Why? 'Defense wins championships'.